Mike Hosier took his passion for golden retrievers and turned it into an art of its own. He’s been working since 2020 to perfect his Golden Retriever breeding business to offer families much more than an average pet.

Hosier remembers when his long commutes to his job in Albany kept him from his first dog, Griswold, named loosely after the family from the “National Lampoon’s Vacation” movie. He opened his graphic design business, MWH Design, to keep things closer to home.

Griswold, a dark red Golden Retriever, was his best friend for 16 years, seeing him through his marriage and the birth of his two children. His love for Griswold sparked the idea of becoming a breeder to help preserve the breed.

Hosier said he had a lot of exposure to dogs as a child through family and friends. He remembers being chased on his bicycle by hometown dogs, interacting with his Uncle’s police dogs and meeting many different breeds when his father was a dog warden at the Saratoga County Animal Shelter.

“Of all the experiences with dogs what stuck with me most was the personality of the Labrador and Golden Retrievers,” Hosier recalled. “They were so eager to please, happy to see you any time you came around, and always up for a game of fetch. As a young adult, I set my sights on one day owning my own retriever to spend time together on outdoor adventures.” 

After the passing of “Griz,” Hosier knew he needed to find a new canine friend. His family picked Adirondac Marty Moose (aka Marty) from a reputable Golden Retriever breeder in western New York.

“He was the last in his litter due to his small size but he was the pick of the litter to me,” Hosier said.

One year later they purchased a female pup Mountain Magnolia Moose (aka Maggie) from the same breeder as Griswold and it was a match made in heaven, bringing his dream of breeding well-bred goldens closer to a reality.

Moose Goldens was born, named partly from his family’s love for traveling to Maine, where moose sightings are rare but super special. Also, the name “Marty Moose” was another character from National Lampoon’s vacation, similar to his first dog Griswold.

The first litter was during the pandemic in 2020. Moose Golden received hundreds of inquiries and people stood in line for a pup, according to Hosier. The family kept two from the litter, Brown-Bear Mocha Moose (aka Mocha) and Wild Miles Moose (aka Miles), for business and because they could not bear to let them go.

An Exemplary Breeder
Moose Goldens takes great pride in breeding limited quantities of dogs with the highest qualities.  Their dogs are registered with the American Kennel Club, continually work on various training and titles like “Canine Good Citizen,” and go through significant pre-breeding testing to assure they have healthy hearts, hips, elbows and eyes, among other things as part of their efforts to preserve and improve the breed.

There are basic requirements for a family to purchase a Moose Golden. Potential owners must have room for the dog to run and play and must commit to basic obedience training.

“We feel a responsibility for each dog we put into the world and it is important for us to give it the best life we can,” Hosier said. “If this breed of dog does not have owners committed to providing the stimulation the dog needs, the dog won’t be a well-behaved dog and the relationship will not be the best it can be.”

In addition, the new owner must commit that if ever they must part ways with the dog, the dog will be returned to Moose Goldens. Every dog purchased carries the Moose name and remains a part of the greater Moose family. 

Hosier assesses the temperament and personality of each puppy and makes sure to match owners with the right dog. The puppies go to their “forever homes” typically when they are around eight weeks old. Owners stay connected with a Facebook group for sharing accolades and comparing notes. Dogs are sold locally and throughout New England and the Hosiers are happy to host playdates, dog-sit their extended family, and they’ve been known to have Moose meetups from time to time inviting all owners back for a visit.  

Heartbreaking Setbacks
Breeding is not for the faint of heart, because with along with the happiness comes the reality of life. Hosier lost a pup from a litter of 12 in 2023, then his own bred dog Mocha suddenly passed after her first litter, and  another dog failed an elbow exam all in the same year. This caused a major setback for Moose Goldens. 

Dedicated preserving the breed and providing well-bred dogs to others, the family then purchased two additional female pups from separate breeders in the Midwest. Thunderstruck Minnesota Moose (aka Minnow) and Wildwinds Old-Fashion Mable Moose (aka Mable) brought the current dog family member total to six.  These females will hopefully be ready for breeding with Wild Miles Moose as the stud in 2025 and 2026.

Next Litter Expected This Spring
Hosier is hopeful that this spring will bring the next litter of pups, perhaps one last litter with Adirondac Marty Moose and Mountain Magnolia Moose, or maybe a litter with Wild Miles Moose and Thunderstruck Minnesota Moose.  Each litter produces anywhere from 7-12 puppies that cost approximately $3,500 each and will come vet checked and with limited AKC registration. Once the pups are on the way, Hosier accepts online applications to reserve the purchase of three to five of the dogs.  Those interested in a Moose Golden should visit www.MooseGoldens.com and follow @moosegoldens on Instagram or Facebook for updates.

Dogs in the Wild Photography
Hosier is also a professional dog photographer, who actively works with the Golden Retriever Club of America. He has published a beautiful picture book, “A Golden Retriever National Specialty Event Through My Lens” that is available on Amazon for $49. He is available for hire to photograph family pets, and often hosts private photoshoots and theme event shoots. This past week he held a special event photographing dogs at the Victorian Street Walk in Saratoga Springs and the Victorian Stroll in Troy. For more information and view examples, visit dogsinthewild.com. Most notably perhaps, Hosier’s photo (see gallery below) of Maggie Moose was selected for use at LL Bean’s flagship store in Freeport, Maine.

Moose Family Dogs in Greenfield
In Greenfield alone, there are at least five members of the Moose family not including the Hosiers. Greenfield’s own Rec Director Jen Zeisler purchased her family pet named Sunni Moose. Zeisler said she had been following Moose Goldens on Instagram and was drawn in by the beautiful photos. The Zeisler parents joined the wait list for about a year and found out they would be receiving a puppy on Thanksgiving. After a couple of “top-secret” visits to meet the puppies, they were immediately drawn to Sunni, with her “sunny” disposition and pink collar. Two days before Christmas, Hosier made a home visit to the Zeislers, when the children were surprised by a meeting with their new pet.

“We were all over the moon,” said Zeisler. “Moose Goldens is hands-down the best breeder we could have found and we loved that it was right here in Greenfield. Sunni was the best Christmas surprise present ever.”

Other Greenfield members of the Moose family include: Brother Maple Moose, owned by the Cooper family; Sansa Moose, owned by the McGetrick family; Leo Moose, owned by Dickson family; and Archie Moose owned by the Richards family.

“Greenfield is a perfect home for a retriever because most of us have a lot of space for the dog to stretch out, run and be outside in nature,” Hosier said. He has lived in Greenfield for more than 45 years. He and his wife, Tracy have two children. One is a student at Skidmore College and the other a senior at Saratoga Springs High School.

“I’d love for the town to continue to invest in more open spaces for dog owners to use for training and exercise,” he said. Hosier, who works toward training his own dogs for obedience and waterfowl hunt tests, would love to do more training on a basic level to clients in the future.

MWH Graphic Design
It is worth noting that Hosier still works as a professional graphic designer, who works with many small businesses. He is available to create websites, logos and other projects. His portfolio and project inquiry information can be found by visiting mwhdesign.com.

“We love to hear about small businesses created by Greenfield residents,” said Town Supervisor Kevin Veitch. “Mike Hosier is an example of a hard-working, lifelong resident who has found a creative way to make a living doing something he is passionate about.”

THANK YOU, Moose Goldens, for your part in keeping things interesting in the TOG. We wish you the best of luck in 2025.